Egg-carrier.



R. DE WRIGHT.

BGG CARRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED 1511111.30, 1912.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHBET l.

wwwa/Joao R. DE WRIGHT.

EGG CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR'. so, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

if i:

v8/e@ WM@ COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

RICHARD DE WRIGHT, OF ALLEGAN, MICHIGAN.

EGG-CARRIER.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patentedfct. 15, 1912.

Application flied March 30, 1912. Serial No. 687,350.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD DE l/VRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allegati, in the county orrrllegan and State of Michigan, have inventednew and use'ful Improvements in Egg-Carriers, of which the rollo-wing is a specication.

My invention relates to egg carriers and has for its object to provide a portable receptacle of such construction and size that the same is adapted to receive a plurality of superimposed cell sections and inthe makeup or such a receptacle it preferably comprises sides, ends and a bottom of slats which are connected by corner braces to form a rectangular structure, the parts when assembled being organized so that the corner braces will extend above the plane of the upper slats to assist in holding in place a cover against which a. handle may impinge to hold the cover in place thel handle being attached to the corner braces so as to be in swinging engagement therewith.

The invention under consideration is designed to provide a portable egg carrier or a size that may be carried in the hand as a bucket or basket for gathering eggs, or the like, and in its make-up embodies certain parts which are shipped in knock-down Jform to be set up o-r assembled and held together by double pointed tacks or staples which will span a part of the metallic corner braces to hold the parts together, as will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred 'form of construction oran egg carrier made to accord with my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view in which the cover is shownin place and is held against removal by the handle. Fig. 2 is a. side elevation, which shows the bails or the handle turned outward so that t-he'cover may be removed.l Fig. 3A is a vertical section taken through one of the corne-r braces, on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a' frag mentary section on the dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of'one of the braces and slat holders, this view also showing the end portions of a number of the side and bottoni slats, and Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on the dotted line 6 6 or Fig. 2.

The wooden strips or slats 1 that constitute opposite ends' of the receptacle or carrier when assembled and the bottom strips or slats 2 have formed in their ends curved kerfs or slits 3, the kerfs in the same end or the slats being insegmental alinement, as they are cut by the use of cylindrical saw of proper diameter. The side strips or slats 4 are not kerfed as are the bottom and the end strips and when the slats are in position the ends of the slats 1 will abut against the end portions of the slats 4 and the ends of the bottom slats 2 will abut against the upwardly extending flange 5 on the transverse portion of the angle bars 6.

The angle bars 6, one being shown detached by Fig. 5, are each made from a flat strip of sheet metal, two of such angle bars being used in the construction or a rece tacle. lThe sheet metal strips after being punched to provide tongue-s, prongs and per- 'forations are bent longitudinally at right angles, the line or' bending being to one side of the center to provide a narrow flange 7 and a wider iiange 8. In a preferred form of construction the wider portion of the angle bar 6 is punched or shaped to provide curved tongues 9 and 13 which have rounded ends, the tongues are arranged in pairs the adjacent tongues being bent inward and curved toward the adjacent tongue on a segment of a circle to correspond with the curvature or the kerfs 3 in the ends of the slats 1 and 2. The height that the tongues project from the surface of the angle bar corresponds with the thickness or the slats and if there is any projection or the tongues beyond the surface of the slats it will be only the rounded end portions of the tongues. In a preferred construction the wider lianges of the corner braces that are parallel, will have on each side three sets of tongues and the bottom will have four sets of tongues as there may be four bottom slats and three end and side slats. The side portions of the angle bars 6 are of such a length and the slats are of such a width and are so spaced that the upper ends of thel angle bars extend above the upper edges of the upper slats, and through these projecting. portions are formed openings for connecting thereto the ends of bails that comprise the handle and also serve to hold the cover 15 in place.

The narrow flanges 7 or the angle bars 6, are provided with triangular openings, the metal to one side of such openings being bent at right angles to provide spurs 10 that are forced into the sides of the slats 4, against which the ends of the slats 1 that are heldin place by the tongues 9 will abut.

The flanges 7 in addition to the spurs 10 have adjacent to their upper ends perforations 10 which are spaced to receive staples Y their ends segmental kerfs to receive the longitudinally curved tongues 13 which are formed integral with the transverse part of the angle bars 6, and the two outer slats may be further held in place by staples or double pointed tacks 14 which span the metal between the openings provided between the tongues 13.

' The end, side and bottom slats or pieces when attached to the angular sheet metal corner and bottom braces, with the attached handle provides a receptacle which is open at the top and one that is light and rigid and when t-he cover is applied there-to the upper ends of the co-rner braces which eX- tend above the upper edges of the upper slats serve to hold the cover in place as against lateral displacement. The swinging bails 19, 19 have their ends lformed into eyes 20 that engage with the angle braces by being passed through the perforations 10 thus effecting swinging engagement of the bails with the corner pieces. Both sides of each bail 19, 19', as shown by Figs, 1 and 2 of the drawings are bent at an angle a short dis tance beyond the eyes 20 and the sides converge, one of the bails having a transverse portion 20 and the other bail 19 is bent to locate its transverse portion, when the bails are in engagement, above the other one, and to provide for retaining thereon a roller or handle 21 carried by the transverse portion 20 of the bail 19 between the parts thereof between which the roller is located.

The construction of the bails not only provides for connecting the bails one to the other over the top of the center of the receptacle to provide a convenient grasping portion but also provide means whereby the bails adjacent to their pivotal points will bear upon the cover' by contact with the same adjacent to its corners and by their resiliency will securely hold the cover in place. The roller 21 not only serves as a hand grasp but also serves to guide the cross part 20 in place to hold the two bails in an interlocked position. |The bails may be locked together by the use of an ordinary loop and seal, as the cover cannot be removed without disassociating the handles and swinging them. one away from the other.

l In my prior Patent No. 725,942 dated April 21, 1903 the tongues did not have a longitudinal curve and the straight ends formed angular corners whiclrwere more or less objectionable, and the kerfs in the ends of theslats were liable not to register with the tongues, and when theV tongues projected beyond the inner faces of the slats the amount of metal made ,it difficult to upset the same, with the present construction when the slats are thinner than they should be there is no diflculty in `bending the rounded ends and as the kerfs are formed with a cylindrical saw with recutting lips The same metallic end pieces that are Y used in themake up of a hand carrier for collecting or shipping eggs or other products may be used in the make upof a larger shipping crate, and when handles of the type shown are not used the cover can be turned as shown by Fig. 3 and said cover may be held inv place by driving nails through the perforations V10 into the strips 14 of the cover. Y Y

The parts that make up the receptacle maybe shipped in knock-down form to the user, and the slats can be readily placed in position and the Yuse of a few double pointed tacks will prevent the partsbecoming disassociated and the tongues will pre# wood.

In the manufacture of produce and poultry crates Vthe angular corner pieces will not extend above the upper edges of the yvent the legs of the tacks splitting the upper slats and a slatted cover will be'nailed in place as is the usual practice.

Having thus set forth my invention I do not wish to be restricted to the precise Vdetails shown by the accompanying drawings which show the invention in a ypreferred form and its use is not to be considered as limited to an egg carrier or t-o a receptacle designed solely to receive cell cases, but

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i v 1. In a receptacle, the. combination with a metallic slat'holder having longitudinally curved slat engaging tongues, ofrslats provided at their ends with segmentalv kerfs'to receive the longitudinally curved tongues of the slat holder. f c

2. A corner'brace for receptacles, comprising an angular metallic strip provided 8. Means for associating slats comprising corner braces of sheet metal which have struck up therefrom inwardly extending and longitudinally curved tongues arranged in pairs to extend one toward the other the ends of such tongues being rounded, in combination with slats in which are formed segmental kerfs which correspond with the curvature of the tongues.

el. In a receptacle. of the character set forth, means for engaging the ends of slats comprising an angular strip having tongues which are integral therewith said tongues being curved longitudinally and provided with rounded ends.

5. A corner brace and connecting means for slats of receptacles of the character set forth comprising Van angular strip of sheetmetal that is bent at right angles to provide a wide and a narrow flange, a plurality of tongues which are integral with the strip and are arranged in pairs to extend from the wider flange in the segment of a circle the ends of each of the tongues being rounded and angular spurs of less length than the thickness of the slats formed to eX- tend inward from the other flange.

6. In a receptacle for the purpose set forth, braces and slat carriers each comprising a strip of sheet metal having a longitudinal bend to provide flanges Which eX- tend at right angles one to the other and intermediate transverse bends to provide parallel side portions, longitudinally curved slat engaging tongues arranged in pairs to extend inward from the wider iiange and openings formed through the narrow anges to be in line with the tongues of the wider flanges.

7. In a receptacle for the purpose set forth, angular metallic corner braces having means for associating wooden slats therewith, the braces being of a length to extend above the upper edge of the receptacle, a cover adapted to be retained against late-ral movement by engagement with the upper portions of the corner braces and a handle attached to the upper end portion of corner braces of the receptacle to engage with the cover to hold the same against upward displacement.

8. In a receptacle comprising corner braces and slat holders, slats which engage therewith, a cover for the receptacle having a part that lies within to be engaged by the upper ends of the corner braces, means connected to the corner braces for engagement with the cover to hold the cover against displacement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

RICHARD DE WRIGHT.

Witnesses CHAs. THEW, BENNETT Arnrr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). C. 

